Blocks of glued corrugated cardboard result in plate-like honeycombs having excellent mechanical stability when they are sawed perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of corrugation. Such honeycombs have been used, for example, for producing cardboard pallets of standard dimensions which are mechanically stable, but which weigh much less than conventional wooden pallets (see, for example, International Patent application WO 93/16927 to Iseli).
The mechanical stability of such cardboard structures allows them to be used even in residential construction when the paper base is made fire- and waterproof by appropriate coating (see, for example, DE 196 54 672 by Iseli).
One option for manufacturing honeycombs made of corrugated cardboard is to cut continuously produced one-sided corrugated cardboard into individual sheets having identical longitudinal directions of corrugation, and to glue same into blocks 1.20 to 1.50 m in size. After a certain drying time, the individual conventional honeycombs result from sawing the blocks perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of corrugation, using a large band saw. This process results in very high cutting losses of at least 20%, which in addition occur almost exclusively from difficult-to-control paper dust. Furthermore, after sawing, the conventional honeycombs must be sized by grinding, and the scrap rate is high due to inadequate control of the gluing in the blocks.
DE 103 05 747 describes a method which ensures much more uniform gluing and lower cutting losses, and which makes subsequent grinding unnecessary. This is achieved by rolling up and rewinding, while simultaneously carrying out the gluing process and cutting to size with the aid of razor blades, before the one-sided corrugated cardboard is wound onto a hollow roll. Another advantage of this method is that the honeycombs no longer have to be sized, since they may be cut to within an accuracy of one-tenth millimeter by the razor blades. Cutting with the razor blades also prevents the corrugated cardboard from being crushed, which occurs with the blades that are typically used. Namely, when such blades are used, the corrugation is pressed onto the backing paper, which may cause the honeycombs to be practically closed during cutting.
However, integrating the gluing and cutting device described in DE 103 05 747 into an industrial facility for manufacturing corrugated cardboard has proven to be difficult, and there are numerous drawbacks to these conventional honeycomb manufacturing processes. Namely, if cutting is carried out first, followed by gluing, there is a risk of uncontrolled subsequent gluing of strips, which have already been cut, during the rolling to form wheel-shaped honeycombs. On the other hand, if gluing is carried out first, followed by cutting, replacing the razor blades which are contaminated with glue requires frequent stoppages of the entire facility, which for a typical running speed of the corrugated cardboard of 150-400 m/min and a width of 1.25 to 2.50 m has proven to be extremely disadvantageous.
The present invention improves the production suitability of a gluing and cutting device and station for manufacturing non-conventional honeycombs, so that the honeycombs may be easily integrated into a facility for manufacturing corrugated cardboard which is operated at a customary speed.